Intentional Discipleship: Our Parish. Our Identity. Our Mission.

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June 14, 2015 To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or

But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of

1 June 14, 2015 To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade. Mark 4:30-32

Intentional Discipleship: Our Parish. Our Identity. Our Mission. Pastor Rev. Anthony Herold Email: herolda@diodav.org Emerg. Phone: (563)271-4632 Deacon Deacon Robert McCoy (Ret.

2 Intentional Discipleship: Our Parish. Our Identity. Our Mission. Pastor Rev. Anthony Herold Emerg. Phone: (563) Deacon Deacon Robert McCoy (Ret.) Deacon Bob Shaw, Parish Secretary Michelle Fury, Director of Parish Life Michelle Herrington Finance Manager Rose Strickland Director of Pastoral Care Donna Enderle Directors of Evangelization & Mission Michael Havercamp Tasha Havercamp Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry Luke Ebener Director of Religious Education Jen Brooke Director of Music Dr. Jacob Bancks School Principal Julie Delaney, Parish Prayer Chain Elaine Lewandoski (563) Parish Website A Message from Father Tony Herold We welcome Fr. Steve Ebel to our parish this weekend and next as I continue my pilgrimage to Italy and Greece with Bishop Amos. Fr. Ebel retired from active pastoral ministry last summer and resides here in Davenport. In his retirement he also has agreed to support the priests in the Diocese as Vicar for Priests. In this position he helps the bishop tend to the particular needs of individual priests and our collective well being. Again, please welcome Fr. Ebel! Fr. Bob McAleer is helping our with daily Masses while I am gone. Many of you know Fr. Mac who retired last year as pastor of Saint John Vianney Parish. He has agreed to help me on a regular basis by celebrating the 6:30 AM Mass on Friday. This is the only weekday we have two daily Masses scheduled. Thank you Fr. Mac! Today we hear the familiar parable comparing the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. A mustard seed cannot grow into anything other than a mustard plant. If the Kingdom of God is sown in us, God s love will grow if it is nurtured. Meister Eckhardt, a Dominican Friar who lived in the Middle Ages, writes that once we receive the Eucharist, "the seed of God is in us. As pear seeds grow into pear trees and as tomato seeds grow into tomatoes, so God s seed grows into Divine Life. So it is with God s life, we should be a transformed people. Many people are anxiously seeking a sign of God's concern and love for them. They should encounter God s concern when they meet people like us who have received the Spirit of God living through our Baptism, Confirmation and renewed each week in Holy Communion. We live in a world surrounded by people who hunger for God but don t even know it. Unfortunately, they are in the same position as the shipwrecked sailors in a lifeboat who were dying of thirst. They shouted hoarsely to a native on shore for water. They were completely unaware their lifeboat had drifted into a fresh water cove. The native shouted back to them, "Dip your bucket where you are." Let us point others to the Living Water. Questions to ponder: *Where am I often blind to the presence of God in my daily life? Do I notice him in my family, my spouse, my friends, my longings, my joys, my sorrows, and my yearnings? *Is there any place I can go where God will not find me?

3 Embracing the Mission in Marriage: Jeff & Amanda Podolski Amanda very nearly became a nun. She was at the peak of her vocational discernment with the School Sisters of Christ the King when she experienced the most profound touch of God s love. After a five day silent retreat, Christ revealed that her true vocation was marriage. I was overjoyed! Amanda recalls. Jesus showed me how delighted He was with me and that my desires to love a man and raise a family were good and holy. Like many, this was something Amanda had struggled with. At the time, I was convinced that I was unlovable by any man, that God was the only one who could love me, she says. My solution was to become a nun where I knew I would always be accepted by Christ rather than risk potential rejection and heartache from a man. Today, her gratitude simply spills over. Thank goodness God is God, and I am not! Amanda gushes. He knit me in my mother s womb and revealed how He cherishes me and wanted me to be a wife. Jeff doesn t know quite where he d be if God would have chosen otherwise. It was about three in the morning and Jeff was caught in the terrifying grip of another panic attack. My stomach was turning inside out and my heart was throbbing uncontrollably, Jeff recalls. That s when Amanda got up quietly and, saying nothing, sat down beside him. I physically crumbled into her arms and did my best to cry between bouts of fear. Amanda was Jesus hands when I couldn t find any trace of him within myself. Jeff experienced God s comfort and healing through another person, for which he is eternally grateful. That s how Amanda understands her call to disciple others. We are called to meet them where they re at, Amanda says, to be a companion on the journey. Before participating in our recent Joy of the Gospel study, she was never really comfortable with the word, disciple, Amanda admits. But Pope Francis says, Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others. I can do that! Today, Amanda lives out that calling in both big and small ways. She s a special education teacher in the Davenport school district. I m just a laborer in God s garden, Amanda says. God plants and tends the seeds while they re very young. I might not always see the fruit of my work, but I trust that He would began the good work will see it through to completion. But she also hears God s call to discipleship in the small things. Amanda calls them God moments. When a woman asks me for a quarter so she can have a grocery cart at ALDIs, or when I can give my extra bagel to the old man standing on the side of the road, or offer a tissue to the boy who ran into the church sobbing. Amanda says these are all moments where Jesus allows her to see His face. I only need to take the time to look, she says. In a similar way, Jeff sees his call to discipleship lived out in the simple things. I live as a disciple by smiling at the people at work who upset me the most, by listening to my neighbors when I d rather be doing my own work, by giving precedence to those relationships that are most important, Jeff says. And it s not just about casting his net wide. Jeff sees his particular call to discipleship focused on just a few. Truthfully, I believe that Christ has called me to engage my wife and a few close friends to leave a unique impact, Jeff says. A big fan of St. Therese of Lisieux, Jeff yearns to do big things, to be a missionary and travel the world. But for a lasting impact, Jeff reflects, I can think of no other way than genuine friendship to accomplish this. Both Jeff and Amanda nurture their spiritual lives through daily prayer, Scripture reading, the Eucharist, the Rosary, Liturgy of the Hours, and even doing daily chores for a specific intention. They take time for God in silence and allow God to address their desires, questions, and struggles of daily life. Recently, Jeff committed to the 1% challenge. After struggling year after year to add more prayer to his life, Jeff asked himself, How much of the day can I really burn for God? Being the kind of guy that often aims too high, he decided to start with a simple 1%. 1% of my day equates to about 15 minutes, Jeff notes. So he got out his candle that accompanies him in prayer and symbolically began burning 15 minutes of his day for God. It s changed my life! Jeff says. We re so very blessed by the deep faith, spiritual fervor and real friendship of the Podolskis. You ve touched the lives of so many at St. Paul s!

Seeking Jesus: Our First and Fundamental Guiding Value A woman and her nagging, grumpy husband went on vacation to Jerusalem. While they were there, the husband died.

4 Seeking Jesus: Our First and Fundamental Guiding Value A woman and her nagging, grumpy husband went on vacation to Jerusalem. While they were there, the husband died. The undertaker told the wife, I could ship your husband s body back home to be buried, but it will cost you $10,000. Instead, I could just bury him right here in the Holy Land and it will only cost you $100. The wife thought about it for awhile, and then told him to just ship him back home. The undertaker was perplexed. But it will cost you $10,000 to ship him back, why not just do it here? The wife replied, I heard that a man died here once, was buried, and after three days, he rose from the dead. I just can t take that chance. We at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church know that Jesus is not some grumpy man come back to nag us! Jesus is the very cornerstone of our faith. He is the reason that we gather on Sundays. The Church was founded, not on a doctrine or a theory or a formula, but on a person, Jesus of Nazareth who came to show us the face of God. It is easy to get so caught up in the trees that we miss the forest. We can so quickly find ourselves majoring in the minors instead of majoring in the majors. The biggest major of them all is that God chose to bridge the gap between himself and a fallen humanity by coming in the flesh. He came not as a demanding tyrant but as a humble servant. He ruled by becoming a slave and offered life by dying to himself. The very beginning of the Catechism of the Catholic Church begins with this prayer: Father, this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved than the name of Jesus. At St. Paul the Apostle, we recognize that everything that we do is to lift up the name of Jesus and to help people walk in relationship with him. That s why our very first guiding value is Seeking Jesus. Baptized and Confirmed in faith, what we do as church is to pursue an ongoing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That s what we re all about. This relationship is strengthened by the Word of God, the Sacraments of the Church, and a consistent lifestyle of prayer, study and action. We love Jesus, seek the will of God in all things and rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate the Sunday Eucharist as the summit and source of our Christian journey. And we seek Jesus and embrace all of these guiding values out of our commitment to the Catholic Church and her teachings. I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, Pope Francis exhorts, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Let him encounter [you]. I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day (The Joy of the Gospel, 3). Take that invitation to heart today. Don t delay. Open your heart to a loving encounter with Jesus Christ, the source and summit, the Alpha and Omega, the Way and the Truth, the Lord and Savior of us all. It s what we re all about.

Special Summer Ignite Family Friendly Event June 25th The Knights of Columbus and the parish youth group will be hosting a Trivia Night on July 17th in Denning Hall starting at 6:30pm.

All the proceeds will support parish youth ministry and help fund our parish s participation in the National Catholic Youth Conference this November.

They could be elderly, depressed, loss of a loved one, Lonely, new baby, a grandparent, surgery Or just in need a visit with a smile.

If you are interested in helping with this ministry, or if you have someone in mind that would enjoy a meal, please contact Mary Kay at 563-940-1918 or email stpaulsaltarandrosary@gmail.

5 Special Summer Ignite Family Friendly Event June 25th The Knights of Columbus and the parish youth group will be hosting a Trivia Night on July 17th in Denning Hall starting at 6:30pm. It will be another fun and exciting night that will put your noggin to the test! Cost is $10/person and there is a maximum of 8/table. All the proceeds will support parish youth ministry and help fund our parish s participation in the National Catholic Youth Conference this November. To register a table, contact Luke Ebener- davstpaulym@diodav.org. Meal Ministry Do you know someone that could use a meal? Theses meals are for ANYONE that could use a pick me up. They could be elderly, depressed, loss of a loved one, Lonely, new baby, a grandparent, surgery Or just in need a visit with a smile. If you know someone that could use a meal, the Altar and Rosary Society will be delivering homemade meals on Wednesday, June 24. The meals will be prepared on Tuesday, June 23. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, or if you have someone in mind that would enjoy a meal, please contact Mary Kay at or stpaulsaltarandrosary@gmail.com Natural Family Planning can build your marriage relationship! That s something that no unnatural method can bring you. To find out more, visit and click on About NFP. A new class series is starting THIS weekend, 3pm, Sunday, June 14 at St. Paul the Apostle, Davenport. Register online at register.ccli.org or call Al and Beth Budelier TODAY at (563) if you d like to attend a free introductory class.

This Week SUNDAY, June 14 9:00AM Mass 10:15AM New Member Meeting, McEleney 11:00AM - Mass, CLOW 11:00AM - Babysitting, MPR 3:00PM - NFP Class, GS MONDAY, June 15 No HS Youth Night

Babysitting volunteers needed. Now recruiting jr. high, high school and adult volunteers to assist babysitting staff. Volunteer shift is 10:30am-12:30pm most Sundays. Jen Brooke 322.

org/ Envelope Income for the week of June 6/7 2015 Envelope Income $10,576 ACH Income $14,469 Total Wkly.

21,866 WEDNESDAY, June 17 9:00AM - Koffee Klutchers THURSDAY, June 18 6:00PM - Grief Ministry, McEleney 7:00PM - Prayer Group, MPR 7:00PM - Home & School FRIDAY, June 19 9:15AM Mom s

VBS isn't just for Moms! Studies show that children are more likely to hold on to their faith if it is modeled by their father or a positive male role model.

6 This Week SUNDAY, June 14 9:00AM Mass 10:15AM New Member Meeting, McEleney 11:00AM - Mass, CLOW 11:00AM - Babysitting, MPR 3:00PM - NFP Class, GS MONDAY, June 15 No HS Youth Night TUESDAY, June 16 6:30PM - Team Andy Practice, MPR 6:30PM - Parish Leadership Night, McEleney & Parish office eéwxü v~ gtçäéü Babysitting Now available at the 11AM Sunday Mass. Babysitting volunteers needed. Now recruiting jr. high, high school and adult volunteers to assist babysitting staff. Volunteer shift is 10:30am-12:30pm most Sundays. Jen Brooke or davstpauldre@diodav.org Have you visited our website lately?? Stop by to learn more about upcoming events and parish information Envelope Income for the week of June 6/ Envelope Income $10,576 ACH Income $14,469 Total Wkly. Income $25,045 June Envelope to date: $25,045 Mthly Budget to date: $22,500 Month Over/Short $ 2,545 Fiscal YTD Collected $1,034,366 Fiscal YTD Budgeted $1,012,500 YTD Over/Short $ 21,866 WEDNESDAY, June 17 9:00AM - Koffee Klutchers THURSDAY, June 18 6:00PM - Grief Ministry, McEleney 7:00PM - Prayer Group, MPR 7:00PM - Home & School FRIDAY, June 19 9:15AM Mom s Morning, McEleney SATURDAY, June 20 9:30AM - Reconciliation 4:30PM - Vigil Mass SUNDAY, June 21 9:00AM Mass 11:00AM - Mass, CLOW 11:00AM - Babysitting, MPR Dads can volunteer too! VBS isn't just for Moms! Studies show that children are more likely to hold on to their faith if it is modeled by their father or a positive male role model. So VBS needs cool dads like you to volunteer! Vacation Bible School, July 27-31, needs YOU! Check out the video & sign up to volunteer v1/index.jsp Today, we will take up the Collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC). This collection communicates the Gospel through Catholic social media activities and enriches our faith through podcasts, television, radio, and print media. Please be generous in this week s collection and support this important work. Remember, half of your donation stays in our diocese to support local communication needs. The CCC is how we share our experience of faith, worship, and witness.

7 Mass Intentions Monday, June 15, 2015 No Masses Tuesday, June 16, :30AM - Ann Blough Wednesday, June 17, :30 AM Katie Molyneaux Thursday, June 18, :30AM - Ron Bloominger Friday, June 19, :30AM - Carrie Olson 8:30 AM Joe Guise Saturday, June 20, :30PM - Christopher Hardy Sunday, June :00AM - People of the Parish 11:00AM - Sylvia Bytnar Mass Times Sunday Masses: 4:30 PM Vigil; 9:00 & 11:00 AM Daily Masses: 6:30AM Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 8:30AM Wednesday, Friday & 1st Saturday of each month Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturdays 9:30AM - 10:30AM Adoration: Will Resume in August Readings for the Week Monday: 2 Cor 6:1-10; Ps 98:1, 2b, 3-4; Mt 5:38-42 Tuesday: 2 Cor 8:1-9; Ps 146:2, 5-9a; Mt 5:43-48 Wednesday: 2 Cor 9:6-11; Ps 112:1bc-4, 9; Mt 6:1-6, Thursday: 2 Cor 11:1-11; Ps 111:1b-4, 7-8; Mt 6:7-15 Friday: 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30; Ps 34:2-7; Mt 6:19-23 Saturday: 2 Cor 12:1-10; Ps 34:8-13; Mt 6:24-34 Sunday: Jb 38:1, 8-11; Ps 107:23-26, 28-31; 2 Cor 5:14-17; Mk 4:35-41 To report child abuse contact: Iowa Department of Human Services Child Abuse Hotline: If the abuse involves clergy or church personnel, also notify Alicia Owens, the Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Diocese of Davenport at or vac@diodav.org.

8 CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS St. Paul the Apostle Church # East Rusholme Street Davenport, IA TELEPHONE CONTACT PERSON Michelle Fury SOFTWARE MSPublisher Adobe X Windows TRANSMISSION TIME Monday, June 8, 2015 SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION Sunday, June 14, 2015 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT 1 through 8 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS Please use color throughout. 700 copies THANK YOU!

Intentional Discipleship: Our Parish. Our Identity. Our Mission.

Intentional Discipleship: Our Parish. Our Identity. Our Mission. August 16, 2015 Jesus said to the crowds: I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.